New Zealand v England: returning Ross Taylor aims to cast captaincy and in-house politics aside for his country

He has not promised his return will be all sweetness and light, after his rude
ousting from the captaincy, but Ross Taylor is a pragmatist as well as New
Zealand’s finest batsman, a combination that suggests he is better off
playing international cricket than playing the victim.

Centre of attention: New Zealand's best batsman Ross Taylor will return against EnglandPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

Taylor’s return will begin with Saturday’s T20 international against England in Auckland, but like Kevin Pietersen’s re-integration with England after the textgate saga, you sense it will start as an uneasy peace.

That was certainly the impression Taylor gave when he described his relationship with Mike Hesson, the head coach who sacked him as captain of the T20 and 50-over sides, as "a work in progress," when he spoke to the media at Eden Park in Auckland.

"I obviously had a meeting the other day with Mike Hesson, and it went well, but it’s a work in progress", said Taylor, who resigned the Test captaincy in the aftermath of losing the other jobs.

"I just want to get out there and play some cricket. Until I play, I won't know if the last few months will have any fall out. I've got friends in the team and I'm looking forward to playing for them, and obviously the management and the country as well."

Taylor admitted that his sacking hadn’t taken him by surprise yet it seemed messy enough to light the blue touch paper of indignation among New Zealand’s former cricketers after he was replaced in all three formats by Brendon McCullum, another fine player and stalwart of the team.

Martin Crowe, arguably New Zealand’s finest ever batsman and certainly one of its more progressive captains, burnt his team blazer in disgust at Taylor’s treatment, an extreme gesture given the latter’s poor record in charge.

Taylor is a fine batsman but as captain he had mostly overseen failure. Since taking over from Daniel Vettori in June 2011 he had won four out of 13 Tests (two of the victories against Zimbabwe), six out of 17 ODIs (five of them against Zimbabwe) and seven out of 15 T20 internationals (five against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh).

Results like that do not present a strong case for staying in charge but Taylor's supporters are not especially critical of him being sacked, just the manner of it and the parochialism they believe to being behind it.

But while it is true that Hesson and McCullum were coach and captain of Otago, the most southerly first-class team here, nepotism remains unproven.

Taylor is clear that he bears no grudges against McCullum. The pair have shared a dressing-room for the past seven years and if there is a rivalry, it is over who is the best batsman.

"We haven't had a meeting to clear the air but then I don't think there was anything wrong with our relationship in the first place," said Taylor. "I can't speak for anyone else; I can only say what I see myself, and I haven't seen anything untoward against me."

Even so, you sense that Taylor is still smarting over what happened but, team man that he is, he wants it to work out well for all concerned.

New Zealand cricket needs all its potential to be realised at once if it is to compete against teams like England, Australia and South Africa, and warring factions in the dressing-room undermine that.

"I just want to be out there and play some cricket. I'll bat wherever I'm put, and sit wherever I'm sat. I don't know how good I'll be after being away from the international scene for a few months, but I'll give it my best. I hope I can just go out there and enjoy myself."